Last week I listened to a Kathy Griffin interview on NPR on my way into work. At one point she mentioned she knew NPR listeners were readers. Poor Kathy either forgot to mention or it was cut out that her own book is being released in September. The title is a plea for Oprah to read the book and recommend it – Official Book Club Selection.
I’ve found more than one book added to my TBR pile or Amazon Wish List because I heard the author interviewed on NPR. The most recent one was Annie’s Ghosts which I really enjoyed.
Have you bought a book after hearing an author speak about it? On the other side of the coin, if you’ve had a book published, did you find the sales increased after doing radio interviews?
Dear Amber,
Thanks for the kind words about Annie’s Ghosts! The NPR interviews I’ve done (Robert Siegel on All Things Considered and the Diane Rehm Show) gave a huge boost to the book. Almost daily, as I promote the book, I meet readers who tell me that they heard one of the interviews. Local NPR coverage made a big difference as well, both in Detroit (where my nonfiction book takes place) and in Baltimore and Washington where I live and work (I’m an associate editor at the Washington Post). For a first-time author, word of mouth is essential, and that’s where bloggers like you come in. So thanks again for spreading the word.